Euterpe broadwayi Becc. ex Broadway, Bull. Dept. Agric. Trinidad Tobago 15: 174 (1916)

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Distribution

Map uses TDWG level 3 distributions (https://github.com/tdwg/wgsrpd)
Trinidad-Tobago present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Windward Is. present (World Checklist of Arecaceae)B
Lesser Antilles (Dominica, Grenada, St. Vincent), Trinidad, and Tobago; exposed, wind-swept places on forested mountain ridges or steep river valleys, at 600-1000 m. (Gloria Galeano & A. Henderson: Flora Neotropica, Monograph 72)A

Discussion

  • There is some variation in indument. Leaves of specimens from Trinidad are the most scaly, ramenlose, and punctate, and the leaves have a dense covering of black scales; specimens from Tobago and the Lesser Antilles are less scaly, ramentose, and punctale, and the leaves have whitish brown scales. It is interesting that three species of Euterpe (E. broadwayi, E. oleracea, and E. precatoria) occur on the small island of Trinidad, and remarkable that E. broadwayi has not been found in Venezuela [although Wessels Boer (1988) believed it may occur there]. This species has an unusual distribution for a palm; two other species, Syagrus amara (Jacquin) Martius and Aiphanes minima (Gaertner) Burret, have somewhat similar distributions. (Gloria Galeano & A. Henderson: Flora Neotropica, Monograph 72)A

Common Name

  • Dominica: manicol; Lesser Antilles: mountain cabbage, palmiste; Trinidad: manac. (Gloria Galeano & A. Henderson: Flora Neotropica, Monograph 72)A

Uses

  • The palm heart is eaten and is in much demand in some places. (Gloria Galeano & A. Henderson: Flora Neotropica, Monograph 72)A

Description

  • Stems cespitose with 2-3 stems, or seldom solitary, erect or slightly leaning, 8-20 m tall, 20-25 cm diam., gray, with a cone of roots at base, these to 2 m long.
    Leaves 10-16, spreading; sheath 1.3-1.8 m long, green or reddish brown; petiole 0.7-1.2 m long, densely to moderately covered with flat, irregular, black, reddish brown, or whitish brown scales; rachis 2.9-3.6 m long, with scales like those of petiole; pinnae 80-92 per side, pendulous to horizontal but pendulous at the apices, subopposite, coriaceous, scaly near point of insertion, with numerous punctations abaxially, with prominent mid vein and 2 lateral veins either side, the midvein with prominent brown ramenta abaxially; basal pinna 70-80 x 0.7 cm; middle pinnae 0.8-1.2 m x 3-4.5 cm; apical pinna 30-50 x 0.8-1 cm.
    Inflorescences infrafoliar, ± horizontal at anthesis; peduncle 15-20 cm long, ca. 3 cm diam.; prophyll ca. 1.3 m long; peduncular bract ca. 1.2 m long; rachis ca. 45 cm long; rachillae ca. 95, 70-95 cm long, 0.7-1 cm diam. at anthesis, absent from adaxial, basal part of rachis , densely covered with 1-2 mm long, branched, intertwined, whitish brown hairs; flowers in triads for ca. 2/3 of the rachillae, paired or solitary staminate distally; triad bracteole prominent, deltate, to 3 mm long, covered with hairs abaxially; first flower bracteole obscure, irregular, 1 mm long, second and third flower bracteoles prominent, ± equal, rounded, 2 mm long, covered in hairs abaxial ly; staminate flowers to 5 mm long; sepals widely ovate, 3 mm long, broadly imbricate, membranous, ciliate; petals ovate, 3.5-4 mm long, fleshy; stamens arranged on a short receptacle; filaments 1.5 mm long, flattened; anthers 2.5 mm long; pistillode 1.5-3 mm long, deeply trifid at apex; pistillate flowers to 4 mm long; sepals very widely ovate, 4 mm long; petals very widely ovate. 4 mm long.
    Fruits globose or depressed globose, 1-1.4 cm diam., the stigmatic remains subapical to lateral; epicarp purpleblack, minutely tuberculate; seeds globose; endosperm homogeneous; eophyll palmate. (Gloria Galeano & A. Henderson: Flora Neotropica, Monograph 72)A

Materials Examined

  • DOMINICA. Ridge overlooking Salisbury nr. end of rd. to Jean, 13 May 1968, Read & Ernst 2005 (US); 5 mi from Pont Cassé on rd. to Rosalie, 22 Jul 1964, Wilbur et al. 7842 (NY, US).
    GRENADA. Grand Etang, 12 Mar 1948, Bailey 434 (BH).
    TOBAGO. Menna. 23 Mar 19 14, Broadway 4745 (MO, NY, US); 23 Mar 1914, Broadway 7087 (TRIN);.summit of Pigeon Hill, 23 Oct 1925, W G. F & Row 11380a (TRIN)
    TRINIDAD, Mount Tocuche, 3-5 Apr 1920, Britton et al. 1248 (GH, NY, US); Blanchisseuse rd., Hanbursley's trace, from nr. 10 mi post, 19 Feb 1926, Broadway 5965 (K, MO); Heights of Aripo, 10-26 Jan 1922. Broadway 9852 (BH, GH, K, NY, TRIN, US); Blanchisseuse rd. nr. Textel Sta., 600 m, 18 Aug 1991 , Henderson & Coelho 1624 (NY, TRIN, US); 1946, Millar s.n. (BH); El Tocuche, Aug 1939, Seifritz s.n. (BH); Mount Aripo. 24 Mar 1937, Swabey & Dean 13138 (TRIN); Grand Morne Bleu, ca. 800 m, 19 Aug 1963, Wessels Boer 1642 (COL, NY, U). (Gloria Galeano & A. Henderson: Flora Neotropica, Monograph 72)A

Bibliography

    A. Gloria Galeano & A. Henderson: Flora Neotropica, Monograph 72
    B. World Checklist of Arecaceae